The cycle of celebrations tied to the SCO summit in Tianjin and the “80th anniversary of victory in the Anti-Japanese War” on September 3 became an important milestone in the shaping of the alliance of the Global South. As a Korea specialist, the author remains within his field of expertise and focuses his analysis on its “Korean dimension.”

General Points

This list is certainly worth comparing with the roster of leaders who shared the stands with Vladimir Putin at the Moscow parade on May 9, 2025. The level of overlap clearly illustrates which countries oppose the glorification of Nazism and the Western “rules-based order.” It also reflects, in the words of Chinese media, China’s rising power and its shifting relations with the world.

In his parade speech, the Chairman of the PRC declared that the world faces a “choice between peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, mutual benefit or zero-sum games,” stressing that the Chinese people would stand on the right side of history and that their rejuvenation “cannot be stopped.” Xi Jinping stated that the Chinese people would follow the path of peaceful development and build a community of shared future with the rest of the world, even as China showcased its military might: the largest parade in Chinese history featured 45 infantry and mechanized formations representing the branches and arms of the People’s Liberation Army, along with stealth fighters, new nuclear missiles, hypersonic anti-ship weapons, and unmanned submarines.

Earlier, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit held on Sunday and Monday in Tianjin, Xi Jinping had called for unity against “hegemonism and power politics.”

Kim Jong Un’s Debut on the Multilateral Diplomatic Stage

News that the Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK would visit China to participate in the commemorative events was released almost simultaneously by KCNA and Xinhua on August 28.

The publication Guangcha noted that “in the difficult years of the war, the peoples of China and the DPRK supported each other and jointly resisted Japanese aggression, making an important contribution to victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the just cause of humanity. The position of the Party and Government of China is to preserve, strengthen, and develop China–North Korea relations. China is prepared to continue working hand in hand with the DPRK to deepen exchanges and cooperation and advance socialist construction.” South Korean media added that while Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of the current leader and founder of North Korea, had taken part in many multilateral meetings, neither Kim Jong Un nor his father and predecessor Kim Jong Il had ever traveled abroad for such events attended by a large number of heads of state and government.

On September 1, the North Korean leader’s special train departed for China. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, his sister Kim Yo Jong, and his “beloved daughter,” sparking another........

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